Psychological Realism and Social Marginalities in Ayọbámi Adébáyọ's A Spell of Good Things.

This study explores the topic of psychological realism and social marginalities in Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀’s A Spell of Good Things, with a focus on how characters’ access to education, healthcare, and political agency are unequally distributed in contemporary Nigerian society. It purports to x-rays the structural forces that perpetuate marginalization and poverty, as well as the personal consequences of these inequalities. The literary theories employed are New Historicism and Psychological Criticism. New Historicism is a critical approach that considers literary texts not only as a reflection of the culture that produced them, but also as a means by which that culture is produced, playing an active role in the social and political conflicts of an era. Psychological criticism primarily treats a literary work as an expression of the author’s personality, state of mind, feelings, and desires. Through a close reading of the parallel narratives of Eniolá, a teenage boy from a disadvantaged background, and Wúràolá, a privileged young doctor, the findings evidence how the authoress uses contrasting characters not only to expose the deep-rooted socio-economic divide, artistically, but to portray the complicity of the elites and the failures of state institutions in addressing injustice. By highlighting the harsh lived realities of inequality through emotional and symbolic storytelling, Adébáyọ̀ challenges the illusion of social progress and invites reflection on the fragility of hope in a deeply stratified society. This research work thus contributes to the growing body of African literature that interrogates class disparities and advocates for a more equitable future.